Return Khilgaon park land to DNCC

The High Court (HC) yesterday ordered Bangladesh Ansar - Village Defense Party (VDP) to hand over the land of Khilgaon Shishu Park to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) within three months.

The court also directed the government to renovate the existing park and establish a modern children's park in the land within next one year.

The HC observed that adversely occupying a public property is contradictory to legal norms and a hindrance to the constitutional principles.

The bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Md Badruzzaman delivered the verdict after hearing two petitions filed by Bangladesh Ansar-VDP and Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela).

Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Bangladesh Ansar - VDP and DNCC have been asked to implement the HC directive after receiving the verdict, Bela's lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan said.   

In 2007, Bangladesh Ansar-VDP filed a petition after the lease on the land which was granted to them in 1987 was cancelled by the government in 1996. 

Later in 2008, Bela submitted another writ petition challenging the government's failure to protect the park from encroachment.

The HC yesterday allowed the writ petition filed by Bela and rejected the one by Bangladesh Ansar-VDP.